Petunia plant named `(Revolution Violet No. 3)`

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is a petunia plant, having a decumbent habit plant having long stems. The petunia plant has over-abundant branching, particularly primary branching is strong, and great profusion blooms, the whole bush remaining in bloom for a considerable period of time. The flowers are single and large, the petals having a vivid purple color, and the bottom color of the corolla throat is vivid purple and the outside of corolla tube is strong purple. The plant has a high resistance to rain, heat, drought and pest.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of petuniaplant obtained from crossing one petunia plant (♀) which was selectedfrom a crossing of "Falcon Blue" (♀) and a wild type of petunia plant(♂) native to Brazil, and the other petunia plant (♂) which was selectedfrom a crossing of "Falcon Blue" (♀) and a wild type of petunia plant(♂) native to Brazil.

The petunia is a very popular plant and is used for flower bedding andpotting in the summer season. There are only a few varieties of thepetunia plant which do not have an upright growth habit and which have ahigh resistance to rain, heat, cold, and diseases. The petunia which wepreviously filed, i.e., the "Revolution" series (RevolutionPurplepink(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,915). Revolution Brilliantpink (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 6,914), Revolution Brilliantpink-mini (U.S. Plant. Pat.No. 6,899)! is a decumbent type plant having long stems, a lower plantheight, abundant branching, and a high resistance to heat, cold andrain. However, there are only a few varieties having a great profusionof flowers, pastel color flower petals and a high resistance to rain,heat, cold and diseases. Accordingly, this invention was aimed atobtaining a new variety having a vivid purple color petal, together withthe above features.

The new variety of petunia plant according to this invention originatedfrom crossing one petunia plant (♀) which was selected from a crossingof "Falcon Blue" (♀) and a wild type of petunia plant (♂) native toBrazil, and the other petunia plant (♂) which was selected from acrossing of "Falcon Blue" (♀) and a wild type of petunia plant (♂)native to Brazil.

First of all, 350 seedlings were obtained from crossing "Falcon Blue" asfemale parent and a wild type of petunia plant as pollen parent in June,1991. From this crossing 2 seedlings were selected in view of decumbenthabit and vivid purple flower color. And then 350 seedlings wereobtained from a crossing of these selected 2 seedlings in March, 1992.These 350 seedlings were grown and 5 seedlings were selected from these.These selected 5 seedlings were carried out a trial by flower pottingand bedding, and then the only one plant selected in March, 1993. Thebotanical characteristics of the finally-selected plant were thenexamined, using similar variety "Falcon Blue" for comparison, fromMarch, 1993. As a result, it was concluded that this petunia isdistinguishable from any other variety, whose existence is known to us,sufficiently uniform and stable in its characteristics, then this newvariety of petunia plant was named "Revolution Violet No. 3".

In the following description, the color-coding is in accordance with TheHorticultural Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England (R.H.S. Colour Chart), and the Inter-Society colorCouncil-Nation Bureau of Standard Color Name (I.S.C.C.-N.B.S. ColorName). A color chart based on The Japan Color Standard for HorticulturalPlant (J.H.S. Color Chart) is also added for reference.

The female parent use in the crossing of two petunia plant which use inthe crossing of "Revolution Violet No. 3" was a wild type of petunianative to Brazil, the seeds of which were gathered at Gramado, RioGrande Do Sul, Brazil and introduced to Japan in October, 1983. Thiswild type of petunia plant is presently maintained at the PlantBiotechnology Laboratory of SUNTORY Ltd., residing at 863-1,Aza-Iketani, Oomori-cho, Youkaiti-shi, Shiga-ken, Japan. The mainbotanical characteristics of this female parent use in the crossing oftwo petunia plant which use in the crossing of "Revolution Violet No. 3"are as follows.

Plant:

Growth habit.--Decumbent.

Plant height.--20 cm.

Spreading area of plant.--100-150 cm in diameter.

Blooming period.--May to August in the southern Kanto area, Japan.

Stem:

Extending (length from base.).--50-80 cm.

Thickness.--Main stem 2.0-3.0 mm; lateral stem 1.5-2.5 mm.

Pubescence.--Many.

Branching.--Over-abundant.

Length of internode.--1.0-2.0 cm before blooming: 1.5-3.0 cm duringblooming.

Color--Strong yellow green (R.H.S. 144B-144C. JHS 3512-3513).

Leaf:

Shape.--Oval.

Length.--4.5-5.5 cm.

Width.--2.5-3.5 cm.

Color.--Grayish olive green (R.H.S. 137A-137B. JHS 3716-3717)

Phyllotaxis.--Opposite both before and during blooming.

Pubescence.--Few.

Flower:

Facing direction.--Opening obliquely upward.

Type.--Single.

Shape.--Funnel-shape, with five-fissured limb.

Diameter.--4.0-5.0 cm.

Color.--In the unopened stage (bud), dark reddish purple (R.H.S. 79B,JHS 8907-8909); when open, vivid reddish purple (R.H.S. 74A, JHS 9207),at full bloom, vivid reddish purple (R.H.S. 80A, JHS 8906).

Reproductive organs.--1 normal pistil and 5 normal stamens.

Peduncle.--0.9-1-2 mm in thicknes, and 2.0-2.5 cm in length.

Physiological and ecological characteristics: High resistance to cold,relatively high resistance to heat, and moderate resistance to diseaseand pests.

"Falcon Blue", used as pollen parent in the crossing of two petuniaplants in the crossing of "Revolution Violet No. 3", is one of theFalcon Series bred by the Sakata Seed Corp., Japan. The Falcon Seriesincludes "Falcon Red Morn", "Falcon Rose", and "Falcon Red", and theseplants are commonly characterized by their large flower size. The mainbotanical characteristics of "Falcon Blue" are as follows.

Plant:

Growth habit.--Medium upright.

Plant height.--30-40 cm.

Spreading area of plant .--25-35 cm in diameter.

Blooming period.--April to September in the southern Kanto area, Japan.

Stem:

Thickness.--3.5-4.5 mm.

Pubescence.--Many.

Branching.--Abundant.

Length of internode.--2.0-3.0 cm.

Color.--Strong yellow green (R.H.S. 144B-144C, JHS 3512-3513)

Leaf:

Shape.--Elliptic.

Length (average). --3.5-5.0 cm.

Width (average).--3.0-4.5 cm.

Color.--Strong yellow green to moderate olive green (R.H.S. 144A-146 A.JHS 3507-3508).

Phyllotaxis.--Verticillate before blooming: opposite during blooming.

Pubescence.--Moderate.

Thickness.--0.5-0.7 mm.

Flower:

Facing direction--Opening obliquely upward.

Type.--Single.

Shape.--Funnel-shaped, with five-fissured limb.

Waving of petal.--Strong.

Lobation of petal.--Moderate.

Diameter.--8.0-9.0 cm.

Color.--Dark bluish purple (R.H.S. 86A, JHS 8308).

Reproductive organs.--1 normal pistil and 5 normal stamens

Peduncle.--2.0-2.5 mm in thickness, and 2.5-3.0 cm in length.

Physiological and ecological characteristics.--Moderate resistance torain, heat, and disease and pest.

This new and distinct variety of petunia plant, "Revolution Violet No.3", was asexually reproduced by cutting at the aforementioned the PlantBiotechnology Laboratory of SUNTORY Ltd., and the homogeneity andstability thereof were confirmed.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

The new variety of petunia plant has a decumbent habit, long stems andvivid purple flower petal and thus is very different from a similarvariety, "Falcon Blue". The plant has decumbent habit, over-abundantbranching and great profusion blooms, and the whole bush remains inbloom for a considerable period of time. Especially primary branching isstrong. The flowers are single and large, the petals having a vividpurple color, which is clearly distinguished from dark bluish purple of"Falcon Blue". The bottom color of the corolla throat is vivid purpleand the outside of corolla tube is strong purple. The plant has a highresistance to rain, heat, drought and pest.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a photograph giving a partial view of the new variety ofpetunia plant planted in a flower pot.

FIG. 2 is a photograph showing, in numerical order, a branch having anopen flower(1), a current shoot(2), a bud(3), a side view of theflower(4), a front view of the flower(5), a rear view of the flower(6),an interior view of the flower(7), and pistil and stamen(8), of the newvariety of petunia plant.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The botanical characteristics of the new and distinct variety of petuniaplant "Revolution Violet No. 3" are as follows.

Plant:

Growth habit.--Decumbent. The stems hang down when potted in a hangingpot.

Plant height.--15-20 cm.

Spreading area of plant.--The stem extends to length of 50-60 cm fromthe base, and thus the spreading area of the plant is 60-100 cm indiameter.

Growth.--very vigorous with abundant branching, a great profusion ofblooms; the whole bush remaining in bloom for a considerable this periodof time.

Blooming period.--Late March to late September in the southern Kantoarea, Japan. The plant shape does not change throughout this period.

Stem:

Thickness.--3.0-5.0 mm.

Pubescence.--Normal.

Branching.--Over-abundant. Particularly primary branching is strong.

Length of internode.--3.0-5.0 cm.

Color.--Deep yellow green to vivid yellow green (R.H.S. 144A , JHS3507-3506).

Leaf:

Shape.--Oval.

Length.--3.0-5.0 cm.

width.--3.0-4.0 cm.

Color.--Dark yellow green to strong yellow green (R.H.S. 146A-145A, JHS3508-3512).

Thickness.--0.5-0.7 mm.

Phyllotaxis.--Verticillate before blooming: opposite during blooming.

Pubescence.--Normal.

Flower:

Facing direction.--Opening obliquely upward.

Type.--Single.

Shape.--Funnel-shape, with five-fissured limb.

Waving of petal.--Week.

Lobation of petal.--Deep.

Diameter.--7.5-8.0 cm.

Color.--Vivid purple (R.H.S. 81A-82A, JHS 8606). Bottom color of thecorolla throat is vivid purple (R.H.S 81B-82B, JHS 8605). The outside ofcorolla tube is strong purple (R.H.S. 83D, JHS 8612).

Reproductive organs.--1 normal pistil and 5 normal stamens. Both normal.

Physiological and ecological characteristics: High resistance to rain,heat, drought and pest.

This new variety of petunia plant is most suitable for flower beddingand potting, particularly in hanging pots or planters, and is furtherexcellent for ground cover.

The plant of this new variety "Revolution Violet No. 3" is presentlyplanted and maintained at the Plant Biotechnology Laboratory of SUNTORYLtd., residing at 863-1, Aza-Iketani, Oomori-cho, Youkaiti-shi,Shiga-ken, Japan.

I Claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of petunia plant, substantiallyas herein illustrated and described, characterized particularly as tonovelty by (A) being a decumbent habit plant having long stems, (B) anover-abundant branching, Particularly primary branching is strong, andgreat profusion blooms, the whole bush remaining in bloom for aconsiderable period of time, (C) flowers are single and large, thepetals having a vivid purple color, and the bottom color of the corollathroat is vivid purple and the outside of corolla tube is strong purple(D) a high resistance to rain, heat, drought and pests.